“With schoolteachers.”
She nodded. “That a town would allow such debauchery, condone it, is appalling.”
One corner of his mouth turned up. “You will be pleased to know that I have been informed you are not to be tampered with, my dear Alethea. You have many friends in town and they are demanding I behave.”
They were standing so close, she could feel his breath on her face. The sweet scent of mint mingled with coffee.
“Will you listen to their demands?” she asked.
“They have assured me if I do not, the consequences will be severe, to say the least.”
“Not anything you would fear.”
He raised his eyebrows. “One could almost believe you wanted me to ignore them.”
“I assure you, sir, I have no interested in being trifled with. My work means everything to me. I care for my students and have no desire to leave them.”
“Would you leave?”
“I would have to, as you well know. Should my reputation be compromised, I would be forced to return to Baltimore.” The words were more for herself than for him. Zeke tempted her in a way she’d never experienced before. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest, she thought it might break loose and fly away. Everything but the man in front of her blurred and was of no consequence. She longed for something…for…
He leaned forward that last inch and kissed her. A soft, gentle brush of his mouth on hers. She felt the contact all the way down to her toes. Every part of her body surged toward him, and without knowing what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips.
He obliged her by deepening the kiss, even as he pulled her hard against him. Her breasts were flat against his chest, her belly rubbing his. Their legs touched. But none of that compared to the sweet dance of his tongue.
Zeke kissed with the easy confidence of a man comfortable with a woman in his arms. There were no tentative stops and starts, no apologies. Just a heart-stirring, tingle-producing kiss.
She wanted more, she thought hazily, giving herself up to the sensations flooding her. She wanted to know what it was like to be with him the way she’d been with…
Alethea did not allow herself to complete the thought. Not only was it dangerous, it was foolish. She wrenched herself from the pleasure that was Zeke’s arms and stared at him.
This man was not trying to win her. Quite the contrary. His carefully designed plan was to disgrace her so she would be forced to leave town. He wasn’t her friend or her lover. He was her adversary.
How unfortunate, she thought as she turned and ran toward town. How unfortunate that she seemed to be falling for him.
Chapter Six
Zeke shuffled the cards with familiar ease. He’d spent hours practicing every day as a kid, had learned to know which cards were most likely to come up next in a well-shuffled deck. He’d taught himself to read people’s eyes, their affectations, to understand when the bet was based on what his opponent had in his hand and when it was a bluff.
Now as he waited for his friends to join him for a friendly game, he found himself wishing he were having dinner with Alethea rather than spending time with Billy, Big John and Evan. She would make him laugh with her views on everything from literature to the weather. She would challenge him and later, when he kissed her, he would feel the pull of an irresistible desire.
There was something about her, he admitted to himself. Something…unique. He’d known a lot of women in his life-he enjoyed women. But none like her. Just thinking about her in his bed was enough to-
His fingers slipped and the cards went flying. Conversation in the saloon stilled as everyone stared at him. He shrugged, then bent down to retrieve the cards.
“Damned society,” one of the men muttered. “Soon the river will start flowing backward.”
Zeke picked up the last card just as his friends approached the table. Billy settled next to him while John and Ethan moved toward the bar.
“I almost didn’t make it,” Billy grumbled. “She wanted me to stay home and read to the children. Read to them!” He sounded outraged. “I told her that raisin’ our boys was woman’s work.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward Zeke. “You know what she said to me?”
Zeke shook his head.
“That if I wanted them to grow into men, I’d better start payin’ attention to them.”
“Is she wrong?”
“What?” Billy’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“Can your boys grow into men without your influence?”
“Hell if I know and that’s not the point. She’s talkin’ back to me, Zeke. Tellin’ me what she thinks all the time. Like she’s in charge. I’m the man. I’m in charge.”
“Why do men think they should be in charge?”
Billy’s mouth dropped open. “It says so in the Bible.”
“It says a lot of things in the Bible you don’t pay any attention to.”
“Is she gettin’ to you?” Billy asked warily. “Is she crawlin’ inside your head and changin’ who you are?”
“No, I’m just asking what’s so bad about your wife telling you what she thinks? Does her
“It sure doesn’t make ’em worse. I don’t want to know what she’s thinkin’.”
“Then why did you marry her?”
“It was the only way to bed her.”
Zeke shook his head. “You never loved her?”
Billy shifted on his chair. “Maybe a little. Then.”
“So you don’t love her anymore?”
“Why are you askin’ all these questions? Are you gonna to get rid of that schoolteacher or not?”
Zeke leaned back in his chair and looked at his friend. “That’s a good question,” he admitted.
“And?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?” Billy came to his feet. “You promised. We had a deal.”
Zeke nodded slowly. “I guess we did. You willing to challenge me, Billy?”
Billy swallowed. “No. Of course not.” He sank back into his chair. “It’s just that I thought she’d be leavin’ town soon. Things was better before she came.”
“I’m not sure I agree with that. I kind of like things the way they are now.”
The following Saturday Alethea found herself again walking toward the schoolhouse, but this time she wasn’t alone. She and Zeke went past the building toward the grove of trees that provided shade on the warm, sunny day. They both carried baskets. His was larger, holding their lunch, while hers contained the cake she had baked just for the occasion.
“Most men don’t like picnics,” she told Zeke as he spread out a blanket on the spring grass. “I suspect they’re concerned about having to make too much conversation.”
He took her hand as she seated herself, then settled next to her. “I’m not most men.”
That was true. He was funny and intelligent and charming. She found herself thinking about him at odd times during the day. She would remember something he’d said and catch herself smiling. And the memory of his kiss made her feel all hot and uncomfortable at the most inopportune times. But more than anything, she found herself wishing he was spending time with her because he wanted to and not because of a bet.
At times she thought he had to like her, at least a little. No one could pretend that well. But then she thought of all the other schoolteachers before her and knew that if she tried to convince herself he was sincere, she was likely to find herself heartbroken. In addition, she would have behaved foolishly, and what could be worse than that?
As they sat in the shade, Zeke looked out at the town spread before them.
